The following is an excerpt from the Berklee Online course Synthesis, Sampling, and Sound Design in Film Scoring: Electronic and Textural Resources.
The music for the 1978 film Halloween was revolutionary, not only because director John Carpenter also composed the score, but also because of Carpenter’s adventurous use of early synthesizers and stabs, which helped him create a of the most powerful songs and creepiest soundtracks of all time.
The hardest part: 5/4 time
The first thing you’ll notice when you look at the music is the time signature. It is in 5/4 time.
What the heck is 5/4 time?
Ernie Ball Halloween with Jason Richardson
Jason Richardson of Born of Osiris, Chelsea Grin and All That Remains shows off his chops and chops in his take on the familiar theme. Under the banner of Ernie Ball (of which he is a sponsored artist), he, in the video, dons a mechanic outfit and dons the Myers mask before unleashing some prog moves on a Halloween theme in ascent. The end result is something akin to Buckethead performing the theme of Halloween – an interesting take on how it can be built and manipulated to breathe new life into a well-known classic.
All of the metal-oriented Halloween theme covers listed so far have been great in their own way, though the Orbit Culture theme perfectly syncs the guitar riffs and aggressive percussion with that familiar jingle, making it becomes a metal highlight. covered (so far). The build-up to a full crescendo during the song’s finale does justice to the high drama often associated with the series.
